June 26 Notable Releases

A few of the 2,657 new and re-released albums coming out this week.

The Trio of Doom -- The Trio of Doom. In 1979, Tony Williams, John McLaughlin, and Jaco Pastorius -- all masters of the jazz-fusion idiom on their respective instruments appeared together at the Havana Jazz Festival. The first 5 tracks of this album are that performance (warning, it's described as "miss-miced"), the second are studio takes and alternate takes of the same songs recorded in NYC a week later. In other words, the Trio of Doom takes on a different meaning depending on your opinion of late '70's jazz-fusion.

Kelly Clarkson -- My December. Who's High Pitch? [Still funny.]

Ryan Adams -- Easy Tiger. A fascinating artist who manages to release more recordings than practically any of his peers, and still find a way to have every one of them declared a comeback or return to form. It's all the more amazing when you consider that he's never really broken into the middle, much less the top.

Hannah Montana -- Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus. Is this like a Chris Gaines thing for pre-teens? I can't wait for 3, I Stabbed that Hannah Bitch in the Eye, by One-eyed Miley.

The Beastie Boys -- The Mix-Up. The Beasties follow up their previous "return to form" To the 5 Borroughs, a mixed affair of old school rap with a return to another of their forms, the jazz-funk instrumentals that dotted the Rubber Soul/Revolver of alt rock/rap, Check Your Head/Ill Communication. It is good to see Money Mark working.